Eric Gilliom

A charismatic, up-and-coming Hawaiian rocker and the brother of Amy Hanaiali'i, Eric Gilliom has been a constant on the Maui nightlife scene for a decade. He also is an occasional performer in major musical theater performances and a favorite visiting artist on other islands. Gilliom spent several years on the mainland, studying music in Chicago, performing on Broadway, and honing his chops in the unforgiving Southern California music scene. He made a bit of a "prodigal son" return to Maui in the mid-'90s as the frontman for the Eric Gilliom Project. His bluesy, powerhouse vocal style and high-energy live show soon made him a favorite act in Maui nightclubs. Like his sister, Gilliom has an ongoing love affair with musical theater. His performance of Judas in the 1996 production of Jesus Christ Superstar (Hawaiian megastar Keali'i Reichel played the role of Jesus) drew thousands of people from all the islands. Brother and sister soon began to produce musicals together, an undertaking which was hugely popular with Maui-ites, many of whom had been following the two singers' careers since childhood. Gilliom's career as an island recording artist began with the release of Into the Mystic, a critically acclaimed album that created almost no splash among consumers. His second release, Like Chow Fun (2000), met with a great deal more commercial success, probably because Gilliom tempered his old-school R&B style with Hawaiian musical sensibilities. In 2001, Gilliom and Hanaiali'i turned the Hawaiian music scene on its ear with a full-scale production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with Hanaiali'i in skimpy underthings and Gilliom as Dr. Frank-n-Furter, all dolled up in women's clothing.